Rather than making sandwiches at home, people can now buy all they need from a supermarket, delicatessen or even a petrol station for a spur of the moment event.

Unfortunately, these types of products tend to be highly packaged and in non-recyclable containers such as sandwich packets, salad bags and plastic trays.

The sad fact is that the days of "Keep Britain Tidy" and a culture of taking litter home seem to be long gone.

At the end of the picnic, the rubbish is placed in a litter bin.

Nothing wrong with that, but in many cases the bags of rubbish generated are much too big for the litter bin and are placed around the side where they can be kicked around by vandals or split open by foxes or seagulls attracted by the smell.

Elsewhere, bottles are dumped in bags around bottle banks, even when there is plenty of space in the bank.

Cigarette ends, fast food wrappings, sweet and crisp packets and plastic bottles are regularly tossed from car and train windows as well as by pedestrians.

The result is that our townscapes and road and rail verges are regularly defaced with all manner of discarded rubbish.

District councils, which are responsible for litter clearance along public roads and other open spaces, are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with matching the public expectation of clean streets with the rising tide of litter that is being dropped.

Councils are able to issue fixed penalty fines of £75 to deal with "litter bugs", but this relies on littering being witnessed and the witness willing to provide a statement.

Understandably, many people are willing to turn a blind eye rather than expose themselves to the stress of a court case.

But if you witness littering in Adur or Worthing, you are more than welcome to report the incident to me for further action.

-------------------------------------
Click here for more Greenwatch.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Herald: letters@worthingherald.co.uk